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The earliest literature is the Vedic, with all its branches. There are four Vedas- Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. Of these the Rigveda is the earliest, and contains description of the life of the people during that period. We get some information from the other three Vedas, especially the fourth one which is said to be a sort of an encyclopedia. It contains information on various topics, These are the primary sources for the history of the early period which is known as the Vedic for the history of the early period which is known as the vedic period. Next to these are commentaries on the Vedic hymns. These are again of three types -(i) Brahmanas ,(ii) Aranyakas and (iii) Upanishads.

While the Brahmanas deal with religious rituals and practices, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads primarily discuss philosophy. The study of these commentaries helps us to understand the development of the Aryan culture.

The Vedangas are the complementary sciences of the Vedas. They are six in number, viz. phonetics, ritual, grammar, etymology, metrics and astronomy. they help us to understand the Vedas properly. Then there are the Upa-vedas or subsidiary Vedas, which deal with sciences like medicine, architecture archery, etc. These reveal the high standard of scientific knowledge attained by the early Hindus.

Sutras are the manuals which contain short pithy sentences. These sutras are again of three types; Shrauta, Grihya and Dharma. The first one refers to the sacrifices, the second to the domestic rites, and the third to dharma or law. Of these, Dharmasutras are of great importance. They deal with law, justice, marriage, property, customs, manners, morals and other aspects of the individual and social life. The whole of this vast Vedic literature belongs to a period from 600 B.C. The great Epics Mahabharta and Ramayana are a rich source of valuable material for history. The social and political conditions of the Aryas are clearly described in these popular works. They throw light on all aspects of the Aryan society.

The Buddhist sacred literature is known as Tripitaka. The teachings of Gautama Buddha are arranged in the groups. The first is Vinaya pitaka which contains rules of discipline for the persons living in the Sangha. The second is Sutta pitaka which contains religious doctrine and the third, the philosophical principals. thus the Tripitaka gives us a good deal of information about the political, social and religious conditions of the period (600 B.C.) The jaina religious works are the twelve Angas. They form a valuable source of information supplementing that of the Tripitaka. The Jataka tales of the Buddhist, like the puranas help us to know the conditions of the early Buddhist India. The German Orientalist, Winternitz, says:"The Jatakas are of inestimable value, not only as regards literature and arts, but also from the point of view of the history of civilisation of the third century B.C. "Milinda of the second century before Christ. It contains the questions asked by the Bactrian King Menander and answers given by Nagsena, the great Buddhist Scholar. The commentaries written by Buddhaghosha also contain several historical and geographical references. Considerable light is thrown on Buddhist India by such Buddhist works as Divyavadana,Lalita Visttara, and Mahavastu and the Ceylonese choronicles-Dvipavamsha and Mahavamsha. Indian traditions, customs, economic conditions, political organisation and religious aspirations of the period can be understood by a careful study of these works.
There are some grave difficulties in trying to interpret and utlise these works, especially the Vedic literature. Peculiarities of grammar, different uses of words, words that have been dropped out of the language long back and such features render Vedic language diffcult. traditional study and methods of interpretation were given up long back. The ancient literature passed from generation to generation by oral tradition. there is every possibility that these books were affected by modification, elimination or interpolation. With great difficulty and honest effort, Western scholars have succeeded in translating them into German, French and English Languages. In spite of thier best intentions, the scholars could not properly understand several aspects of the unique civilization and this has resulted into incorrect translations of the ancient culture. An effort is now being made scholars to remedy some of the grave defects.

In addition to these religious and philosophical works there are numerous works of a secular nature. they are in various branches of literature such as poetry, drama, grammar, political science, chronicle personalities, events and ideals, Arthashastra of Kautalya gives an idea of the high standard of political thought and orginastion, as well as of a rich and prosperous economic life attained as early as the fourth century B.C. Shukra Nitisara, Kamandakiya Nitisara and Panchatantra belong to this type of literature. manusmriti, followed by the of Narada, Yajnavalkya,Vishnu and others, gives a codified system of publi c and personal law. Panini in his famous work on grammar gives valuable information about the political and cultural conditions of the pre-Maurya and Maurya periods. Equally important is the work of other grammarians, Patanjali and Katayana. The reference to the early Shungas is found in the Mahabhashya of Patanjali and Malavikagnimitram of Kalidas, While the Raghuvansha deals with the dynasty of the Kings of Ayodhya. In several dramas we get an idea of the ancient notions of an ideal King his duties and responsibilities. Mudrarakshasam of Vishakhadatta is a very story of the overthrow of the Nandas by the great stateman Chanakya and his disciple Chandragupta. Harsha-Vardhana's three dramas, Naganandam, Ratnavali and Priyadarshika reveal the cultural achievements of the seventh century A.D. In his Harshacharitam, bana attempts to give an account of Harshavardhana's exploits and beneficial rule, though there are some exaggerated descriptions. Another poetical work of historical importance is the Rajatarangini of Kalhana. He narrates the history of Kashmir from the earliest times to nearly 12th century A.D. It also contains valuable reference to the events of the other parts of India.